National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2011

Proclamation 8761 of November 30, 2011

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Though we have made progress in the fight to reduce
drunk driving, our Nation continues to suffer an
unacceptable loss of life from traffic accidents that
involve drugs, alcohol, and distracted driving. To
bring an end to these heartbreaking outcomes, we must
take action by promoting rigorous enforcement measures
and effective substance abuse prevention programs.
During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, we
recommit to preventing tragedy before it strikes by
ensuring our family members and friends stay safe,
sober, and drug-free on the road.

As we strive to reduce the damage drug use inflicts
upon our communities, we must address the serious and
growing threat drunk, drugged, and distracted driving
poses to all Americans. Alcohol and drugs, both illicit
and prescribed, can impair judgment, reaction time,
motor skills, and memory, eroding a person's ability to
drive safely and responsibly. Distracted driving,
including the use of electronic equipment behind the
wheel, can also put lives at risk. To confront these
issues, my Administration is working to decrease the
incidence of drugged driving by 10 percent over the
next 5 years as part of our 2011 National Drug Control
Strategy. We are collaborating with State and local
governments to bolster enforcement efforts, implement
more effective legislation, and support successful,
evidence-based prevention programs. These ongoing
initiatives are supplemented by our Drive Sober or Get
Pulled Over campaign, which aims to deter impaired
driving during the holiday season.

While enforcement and legislation are critical elements
of our strategy, we know that the parents, educators,
and community leaders who work with young people every
day are our Nation's best advocates for responsible
decisionmaking. Research suggests that younger drivers
are particularly susceptible to the hazards of drugged
driving. To help our families and communities build
awareness about impaired driving, my Administration
released a toolkit that includes information about
drugged driving, discussion guides, and tip sheets for
preventing driving under the influence of alcohol and
drugs. These materials are available with a variety of
other resources at: www.TheAntiDrug.com.

All of us have the power to effect change and work to
end drunk, drugged, and distracted driving in America.
In our homes and communities, we can engage our youth
and discuss the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.
In our clinics and hospitals, health care providers can
redouble their efforts to recognize patients with
substance abuse problems and offer medical
intervention. And in governing bodies across our
country, State and local officials can explore new
legal actions that will hold drugged drivers
accountable and encourage them to seek treatment. As we
come together with our loved ones this holiday season,
let us renew our commitment to drive safely, act
responsibly, and live drug-free.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim December 2011 as
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. I urge all
Americans to

make responsible decisions and take appropriate
measures to prevent impaired driving.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.